October 17, 2003—The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently placed a questionnaire on its Web site inviting dutyholders to tell them what progress they have made complying with the duty to manage asbestos that becomes law on May 21, 2004.
The British Government committed in December 2002 to review the operation of the new regulation by the end of 2003. The questionnaire, part of that review, gives the opportunity to tell about anything that is getting in the way of compliance.
The duty to manage requires those responsible for maintenance and repair of non-domestic premises to assess whether there is any asbestos in their buildings, and, depending on its condition, either remove it or manage it–making sure that maintenance activities carried out subsequently do not expose workers to any avoidable risk. They must ensure that information on the location and condition of these materials is given to anyone likely to disturb them.
As part of its campaign to raise awareness of the new duty HSE has been encouraging dutyholders to start work well in advance of May 2004 and, in particular, to introduce a precautionary approach to maintenance work in their buildings. This means only allowing work to take place on materials after checking whether they contain asbestos, or alternatively, assuming materials contain asbestos and taking the necessary precautions.
The questionnaire, due October 31, 2003, contains ten straightforward questions spilt into three main subjects: awareness, action planned or taken, and barriers to compliance. The questionnaire, which the HSE says it should take no more than ten to fifteen minutes to complete, can be completed online, or be sent via e-mail, fax, or post. Information provided will be used only for the purposes of the review and will not be attributed to a particular individual or organization.
